Broadband Expansion a Big Part of Evers’ Budget Proposal

One of the major proposals in Governor Evers’ budget is expanding access to broadband internet to residents across the state. Evers has proposed spending more than $78-million to add funding to a Broadband Expansion Grant Program, and has included a statewide goal of increasing broadband speeds to all homes and businesses by the year 2025. Secretary-designee Brad Pfaff of the Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection says this is not just an issue facing rural Wisconsin. “There are some urban and suburban areas that do not have access to broadband,” Pfaff said. “We need to have this conversation, and the Governor is setting goals so we can get further than even some of our neighboring states as far as the kind of broadband technology that we have available.”

Ultimately, while Evers’ plan would benefit the entire state, one of the key areas the proposal will help is rural areas. Pfaff says that the modern farm is using technology every day – from tractors to planters to milkhouses – and its important that they have access to broadband services. “Farmers rely on technology like any other business or any other household, dairy farmers, grain farmers, they are relying upon technology,” Pfaff said. “We must make sure that regardless of where we are in this state, where we’re doing business, that individuals have access to broadband.”